Fake stamps, currency, diplomatic license plates: Ghaziabad man sets up fake Embassy for imaginary country, poses as Ambassador

India.com

4 days ago

A 47-year-old man has been arrested by Uttar Pradesh Police for running a fake embassy of a fictional country from a rented house in Ghaziabad. The accused, identified as Harshvardhan Jain, had turned a residence in the Kavi Nagar area into the so-called diplomatic mission of Westarctica, a self-declared micronation based in the unclaimed region of western Antarctica.
According to UP Police's Additional Director General (Law and Order) Amitabh Yash, Jain wasn't just posing as a representative of Westarctica, he was allegedly acting as an 'ambassador' for several other obscure micronations as well, including Seborga, Ladonia, and an entirely made-up country he named Poulvia.
For context, micronations are tiny, self-proclaimed 'countries' that declare independence but lack any formal recognition from established sovereign states or international bodies like the United Nations. In India's case, these entities hold no legal or diplomatic status whatsoever, making Jain's so-called 'embassy' completely illegitimate from the start.
What makes the story even more unbelievable is the scale of the charade. Jain allegedly created fake diplomatic license plates, stamps, ID cards, and even printed currency.
Authorities are investigating the scope of the fraud and whether others were misled or financially exploited in the process. For now, the bizarre episode serves as a reminder that not all embassies are what they seem — especially when they're operating from a quiet neighborhood in Ghaziabad. How did the fake embassies operate?
Jain was allegedly appointed an advisor by Seborga, a village and a self-proclaimed principality in the region of Liguria, which is near the French border, in 2012 and an honorary consul by Westarctica in 2016.
His office, which was in an upscale Ghaziabad neighbourhood, was converted into a fake consulate by hoisting flags of various micronations he represented. He also used four luxury vehicles that illegally sported diplomatic plates.
The police found Rs 44.7 lakh in cash and foreign currency, with an exchange value of around Rs 30 lakhs, during the raid at the 'embassy.'
4 luxury cars were also found, including an Audi and a Mercedes, 20 fake VIP registration number plates of diplomats, 12 fake passports, two PAN cards, 34 stamps of different countries, 12 premium watches, a laptop, a mobile phone, and various other documents. What did the accused tell the police?
During the investigation, Jain confessed to running an embassy to dupe businessmen and operate a hawala racket, said additional superintendent of police (Noida STF) Raj Kumar Mishra.
'During the investigation, when Jain was questioned about his work, including cars, other countries' flags, and diplomats' registration numbers, and asked to provide authenticity, he confessed that he was running a fake embassy to dupe businessmen and operate a hawala racket,' Mishra said.
He added that 'Jain was running the fake embassy in Ghaziabad since 2016. Earlier, he used to operate from his father's home at KB-45, but around five months ago, he, along with his family, wife and minor son, shifted to KB-35 at a rent of Rs. 1.8 lakh per month, while his father stayed back at his home.'
An Uttar Pradesh court has sent him to 14 days of judicial custody, after being produced there on Wednesday. How did the police uncover the embassy?
According to the First Information Report (FIR), which was filed by UP-STF sub-inspector Sachin Kumar, the police told they have been receiving tips from various sources about a fake embassy, which was being operated in the Kavi Nagar area.
'For the past few days, police were receiving tips from multiple sources that a fake embassy was operational in Kavi Nagar, and the suspect used to move in vehicles carrying VIP registration number plates of diplomats,' the FIR said. 'He also installed flags of different countries on his cars and was involved in duping people by posing as an ambassador to these micronations.'
Senior officials from UP-STF, on the condition of anonymity, mentioned about receiving inputs from a central agency.
The FIR added, 'When central agencies were contacted to check the authenticity, it was confirmed that no embassy can be run without approval from the ministry of external affairs of India, and it is against the sovereignty of India.'